A Guiding Light to Take you Home
by Aqua-Tranquility
Summary: Irene thought she was past bumping into former lovers after four hundred years, but Anna had always defied her expectations. Cover commissioned from cdart-carmendaniele on Tumblr!
1. Serendipity

When her love appeared in front of her Irene suspected it was another lapse in sanity, an experience she thought she was past.

* * *

Every fiber of Irene's being screamed at her, humiliation burned at her core, her blood boiled with an inescapable feeling of betrayal. She sacrificed everything for her people's benefit _her happiness_ , her constitution, and now Irene's _dignity_ too was torn to shreds. For what, to be strung up like an animal, paraded about, and tortured?

Irene glared down at her subjects, at Brutus as he sneered viciously up at her, was she ever human to them? No. What they saw was a monster. Blind to the monstrosity in their own hearts; what else could drive them. Humanity was a sham for the idealistic and naive.

A searing poker prodded at her side drawing Irene to insurmountable rage; her human visage gave way to truth. An instant was all it took for the demagogue and his insurgents to be wiped from existence. Her blood boiled, humiliation scorched her core, her blood boiled with an inescapable feeling of _betrayal_.

* * *

The curve of her face, the feel of Anna's hand clutching hers, the sound of her voice were a mirage. Parched for even the smallest drop of water in the desert this vision had appeared to Irene with the promise of a dream long dead; one she dreaded leaving.

* * *

An array of colors blazed along the horizon as the sun set reflecting off of Anna's hair giving it a golden hue.

"You're getting married," Anna was the first to speak. Surprisingly, there was no accusation or animosity in her statement.

She should be angry, no _furious_ , Anna deserved better than this, Irene knew that, but she had to do what was best for her people. Anna would understand; that didn't make any of what Irene was about to say _right_. She owed Anna the truth, "yes."

"I wanted to tell you, well I didn't want to," Irene stumbled over her words, what kind of ruler _stumbled_ over their words?

Anna lips pressed into a firm line, "Just tell me".

* * *

In her moments of grief and self-loathing, over centuries, it was the memory of Anna's smile that brought her solace; a memory that was fading with every passing day.

* * *

The words were beginning to blur on the page before her, but Irene could not rest until she could come up with something, _anything_ that could aid Belserion in his battle with the opposing force. He spent so many decades guarding Irene and her family, she should be able to contribute something in his time of need.

Consumed by her thoughts Irene did not hear the door creak open or the sound of steps, on stone, approaching. Arms wrapped around her from behind, a head rested on her shoulder, a hand closed her book. Irene made a disgruntled noise, she could feel a smirk forming in her shoulder, and twisted around to give the perpetrator a disapproving look. Irene and Anna came face to face, "You're distracting me".

For a moment Anna's lips pressed into a telltale firm line, a flash of concern passed over her eyes, before a smirk began to play on her lips again. She tugged Irene's hand softly pulling her up onto her feet, "What are you doing?" Irene asked, they were mere heartbeats apart.

"I'm distracting you."

* * *

It was Anna that kept Irene from slipping after she consumed by a monster of her own making.

Not Brutus' spawn, the wretched thing was somewhere out there in this vast world. Perhaps more monstrous than her mother; a pretty face was incredibly deceitful and that thing had certainly inherited most of Irene's looks; though she resembled her father more with every passing day.

"Irene," her angelic presence bestowed her with the sweetest voice to grace Irene in centuries.

"Irene," why should this benevolent presence voice concern for someone as warped as herself.

"Irene," hands cupped Irene's face, a phantom touch ghosting over her skin, and perfection crashed into her.

Four hundred years was ages, to be alive, it felt like an eternity, but some good came out of Irene's purgatory every so often or so she thought. Anna had always defied her expectations though and _now was no different._


	2. Consequence

"How..?" Irene's voice cut through the silence like a knife. Disbelief clouded her mind, Anna was long dead, yet here she was in front of her, there was no denying Anna was real; she had certainly proved it.

"The Eclipse Gate."

One of Zeref's many machinations. No good could come of dealing with the black mage. Irene hardly knew him, but something was...off; His mental grip even more tenuous than her own.

"Igneel, some of the remaining dragons, Zeref, and I came up with a plan to defeat Acnologia."

"I'm listening," the only way to defeat a dragon was with a dragon. Well, or a dragon slayer. If there were any left, which there weren't, they were all eliminated centuries ago. Dragonification was a grueling process that, to Irene's knowledge, only Acnologia and herself had survived. After Acnologia of course, dragon slayers did not have to wait for their bodies to mutiny. Strangers, neighbors, even loved ones leaped at the opportunity for destruction, in most cases, before the dragonification began.

"We used the gate to send some young dragon slayers to a future with higher ethernano in the hopes they could defeat Acnologia."

" _Young dragon slayers_ ," criticism laced her voice, "you had dragons, Zeref himself, and you chose to send inexperienced mages to deal with the world's _most grievous_ threat?"

"The dragons were dying and Zeref his magic is ineffective. He may be immortal, but Zeref is still human; even with his power, he doesn't stand a chance."

"If even one of these slayers takes the same path we will be right back where we started."

"We must defeat Ancologia, no matter the cost," Anna spoke gravely with unmatched determination.

"Nothing is worth that fate," Irene paid dearly for for her choice.

"The end justifies the means," the gravity of her words shattered Irene.

* * *

"You can't do this!" Anna argued with fervor; her words fell, before she caught herself, Anna's lips pressed firmly together, "don't do this," she pleaded with unmatched determination.

"It's the only way to defeat those depraved creatures," the western dragons encroached further into their kingdom with every passing moment; there was no time to consider the _consequences_ of her actions. Irene would face whatever she brought on herself _alone_. After wounding Anna, like she had, Irene did not deserve her care or concern; however much she may, desperately, crave Anna's attention. It wasn't right. Anna had a family now and soon Irene would have one of her own.

"I must defeat them. No matter the cost," for her people, for Belserion, for _Anna_. The most Irene could do now was safeguard her future, so Anna's days could be filled with nothing but the happiness Irene herself could not provide.

"The cost is unimaginable," there was an edge in Anna's voice Irene had never heard before.

"The end justifies the means," silence hung in the air like a noose.

* * *

Irene broke into a fit of delirious laughter. Anna, for her part, looked disturbed. Of course, for her hardly any time had passed and for Irene it had been four hundred years; four hundred years of losing herself, four hundred years of living like an animal, four hundred years of _that thing_ growing inside of her. Anna was the same as the they had last parted. Could she not see the irony?

"So, the solution is to create a monster?" she cackled to herself, Irene knew a thing or two about creating a monster of her own making.

"They're just innocent children, they haven't made a choice on who they are going to be or what they are going to be yet, the dragonification process is being prevented by the dragons as we speak," as if that was definite. There was no cure.

" _Children,_ you are placing this task in the hands of _impressionable, naive, idealistic children;_ who will make the difficult choices when it comes to that?"

"I came through the gate to act as their caretaker and the dragons reside in their souls. We will be there to guide them through the trials and tribulations they will undoubtedly face."

"Oh, _I apologize_ , I didn't realize that care entailed placing the weight of the world on a child's shoulders instead of taking it on _yourself_ ," sarcasm seared through her tone. Anna had changed.

To Anna's credit, she looked guilty at that, "They are no better alone in the world," _nothing was worse than being alone in the world_ , she sounded contrite; Irene couldn't distinguish sincerity any longer, even from Anna. "Please, help me find them," Anna pleaded, she had changed but some of the Anna she knew had remained the same. Even when subjecting these children to a fate worse than death Anna cared for these children with all her heart, that much was clear.

I wasn't much, but the knowledge provided Irene with a small measure of comfort.

"Fine," she conceded, it wasn't as if she could leave these children to the horrors of dragonification alone. Although Irene loathed to admit it, she could not deny Anna's request after clarity had washed over her, like rain in the desert, after so many centuries.


	3. Fault

They carried on in relative silence. There was nothing to say. Neither them were going to concede their views.

The bare branches rustled in the wind. A subcutaneous chill coursed through Irene, the frigid temperatures agitated her draconic side. Food tasted like sand, wakefulness haunted her nights, and the only sensation she could feel was the cold, forcing her to dress garishly in layer after layer. If only she could hibernate through the unforgiving winter months, but she was _human._ Well, she intended to continue as a human even as the possibility drifted further past the horizon.

Seven days since fate had strung Irene and Anna together once again, she didn't know how much longer she could maintain this facade, and Anna had not brought up the question that must be looming in her mind. _She must know,_ Irene had metamorphosed into something wretched, depraved, monstrous in Anna's absence.

* * *

"It's still me! I'm Irene, your wife, remember?!"

Brutus looked Irene up and down with a resentful sneer, "As if I would ever fornicate with such a horrid creature; As if _I_ would _engage_ in _such debauchery_."

"But you have," there was no point in arguing his point of view was set, "I'm carrying your child,"that was evidence even he could not disregard; it was sufficient enough to allow here people to rise up, certainly they would not allow for this to continue. Belserion was a kind and benevolent ruler, better than most, and he was a dragon. Belserion was a dragon. He was a beloved ruler. Irene was not Ancologia, she would not fall prey to baser instincts, her people knew this and would not follow a _foreigner_. Brutus was not even truly her husband yet, he had no _true_ claim, no true power.

Brutus broke into a fit of cackles at her claim, "Look the fucking snake thinks we will believe the lies that slip off her tongue," the corridor erupted in a fearsome roar of laughter. _How?_ "Get her out of my sight," he commanded the soldiers, her soldiers, roughly holding her in place. Dread sunk through her at a sickening pace, they complied, frantic to gain any sort of purchase Irene scoured the room for a sympathetic face.

* * *

Irene glanced into the pool of water before washing up, nothing felt real, the face looking back at her did not feel like her own. When her hands touched her face, gliding over smooth skin instead the rough scales she had long since become accustomed to, she was brought a small measure of comfort.

Fish were roasting over a crackling fire in the distance. The sun had long since set, an owl called in the distance, closer she could hear Anna setting up camp. When was the last time Irene had actually used such amenities? It wasn't as if she could feel anymore.

* * *

He wasn't much to look at, but the future of her people was a stake.

Irene held out her hand,"It's nice to met you". The impending assault from the western dragons had pushed up her deadline, but an arranged marriage was always in her future. A political alliance with a distinguished general would prove useful.

He cupped her hand in his and brought it to his lips, "It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty," he seemed completely devoid of manners; what made him think he had the right to touch her so intimately. The brute continued to caress her hand, arm, anything he thought he could get his hands on without crossing a line, "I've never encountered anything as lovely as you," if he thought flattery would get him anywhere Brutus was sorely mistaken.

Irene wished that there was time to find a more suitable option. Perhaps a faraway prince, the refined son of a diplomat, an intelligent merchant. Of course, none of them would be _Anna_ , but that was neither here nor there; Irene had a duty, an obligation, to her people and the crown to carry on the Belserion line.

Brutus would have to do. Irene could learn to love him or at least tolerate having him by her side. He was loyal, he would have his use, and he would provide an heir that should be enough. Irene would need loyalty when they finally made their move against the western dragons. Brutus seemed nothing if not loyal and that was all that the role demanded.

* * *

Irene fed the fire. She may not need it anymore but Anna certainly did. Irene focused on Anna's slow steady breathing, over the crackling of the fire, behind her; she was still here, four hundred years later and she was really here, _alive_. She wondered if Anna knew, Irene would have to set up her her sleeping roll soon, so it appeared that she actually rested. There was still time, Irene had nothing if not time, so she prodded at the embers some more.

"I don't remember you being this interested in fire," Anna was awake? She should have picked up on that; when was the last time she had let down her guard like that?

"It's cold," was Irene always this inarticulate? Perhaps isolation had dulled her more than previously thought.

"Then come over here," Anna tugged lightly at her wrist. Before she knew it Irene was right at her side. There would be no sleep for her tonight. As Anna fell asleep beside her Irene gazed up at the stars until they faded out of existence.


	4. Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder

Irene woke to something strangely familiar. Everything was a haze. Delicate hands ran through her hair feather light. She opened her eyes and the sun glared down in an autumn haze, _she opened her eyes?_ She didn't remember closing them; sleep had not been possible since she took human form, yet, here she was waking up, Anna running her hands through her hair like the past four hundred years did not exist.

"I didn't think your hair could get any longer," Anna chuckled from behind her.

Irene rolled over, "It's a mess," she admitted, Irene couldn't find it in herself to care much for appearances after she began her transformation

* * *

Scales crept up Irene's face like vines taking root trying to drain her of everything she was. The rough stone floor would have dug through her skin otherwise. Never in her life would Irene have expected to find herself locked in her own dungeon, thrown in by her own people. They choose _Brutus,_ Irene realized that she had erred creating dragon slayer magic, but she had done so for their benefit. Why couldn't they see so? If anyone could right Ancologia's wrongs it was Irene, certainly she was the only one left their witch hunt had gone on for months now and all the rest would have fallen to dragonification by now.

But here she was lying on a frigid floor, hardly dressed in tattered rags, in a room that reeked of filth and piss while painful tremors racked her body with abandon. A year with no resistance from her people. Her dignity was torn away from her burned away by humiliation. A year of pain, humiliation, betrayal and she had brought it all on herself.

Irene was ripped from her thoughts when the cell doors were thrown open. A group of guards, a whole hoard of traitors, dragged her to her feet and down the corridor into the burning glare of the sun. While she was tied to a cross Brutus, up on his perch, a vulture starving for its next meal, loomed from her throne. So, he wanted a spectacle; Irene would give him precisely what he wanted and he would curse the day they crossed paths.

The curtain parted, her audience called passionately for her demise, Brutus strutted down from his post ready and willing to play his part with a smug grin, "Today we will triumph the dragon will be slayed," he announced as if he were some sort of hero about to strike down a wicked evil that had plagued him.

"The same dragon is carrying your progeny," the truth didn't matter just what the people thought and if Brutus was going to take her life, make her a monster, she would drag him right down with her. The people followed him out of fear and if he was no better than her they would have no part of it. Brutus' compatriots would stand beside waiting in the wings to swoop in and fill the power vacuum left behind.

"Lies, that's all a wretched creature like this knows," he trumpeted to the crowd, "it has been with child for over a year and nothing has come from it!"

"It is the truth, this creature carries _your child_ ,"Irene continued to challenge the brute, she sneered at him with all the malice she could muster.

"Then let's prove the child's existence," his eyes darkened considerably shadowed by hatred, "I'll cut it right out of you!" He drew his sword and swung. Every fiber of Irene's being screamed at her, she was scorched by humiliation, her blood boiled with an inescapable feeling of betrayal. The blade slice through the tender flesh of her stomach. Rage exploded untethered from her core, bones snapped, cracked, and reformed. Fire burned at her back with fervor as she launched herself at that fucking vilifier; claws tore his flesh to ribbons and once the thing beneath ceased to look like a person and more like a mess of blood and flesh Irene took flight.

* * *

Irene looked down into the fountain by the time Anna had finished her hair actually looked semi presentable. Soon thereafter they had been on their way once more, finally they had made it to a town; well not just any town the town where they would begin following leads, a lead. Irene was not entirely happy with Anna's endeavor but some of the tension had left, the air between them was pleasant it was almost as if they had never parted. If only it were true.

* * *

As a ruler Irene had to know her people, know their struggles, know their desires at least that was what Belserion had imparted that it was her duty. So here she was wandering along the countryside. The fields of golden wheat stretched on for miles it was all very boring. Irene understood that Belserion was king regent and Irene was not yet old enough to assume the throne, but hadn't she learned enough?

Yet, here she was wandering around to soak in a common experience. There was nothing wrong with a simple life or a boring one like her own, it suited most people just fine. That sort of life wouldn't suffice for Irene.

Adventure, magic, forging her path and discovering unknowns. A life of fantastical intrigue that was what she wanted most. Irene wanted to have experiences unlike any other with people unique and intriguing in their own right; to do things that had never been done.

If she were to continue on this path and never look back would Irene find the adventure she yearned for all seventeen years of her life? Perhaps, but she couldn't Irene had a duty to her people and her own dreams paled in comparison.

Eventually, Irene came upon something stellar, in a rare verdant pasture a girl, about her age, was practicing magic like Irene had never seen before. It was spacial in nature. A mermaid created wave after wave of water and the girl, golden hair falling in waves around her shoulders, spun it like silk in her hands. Irene stood there for awhile even her enchantments wouldn't give her such a fluid command of the element.

Irene stood witness awed as this celestial being spar with a mermaid, of all things, and she knew she had found a piece of what she had been searching for her whole life.

A splash of frigid water woke her from her revere, "brat close your mouth before you catch flies," the mermaid taunted.

The blonde shot the mermaid a look, of course it wasn't taken notice of, "you don't have to be mean."

Then she turned to Irene and held out her hand, "My name's Anna, it's nice to meet you".

Irene took the hand in front of her, "Irene..it' .nice to meet you too!" Irene returned and she was greeted by a smile that outshone the sun.

* * *

An egg, a little girl, and a boy with a facial tattoo that was the story. It was nonsensical to Irene but Anna she knew exactly what these people were talking about in an instant.

"We're close Wendy was here," Anna was optimistic, hopefully she won't be disappointed.

"Your not worried about the tattooed miscreant she's hanging around with?"

"At least she's not alone."

"Sure, but this other kid might make himself a nuisance when two strange women come looking for her and you can't expect him to believe the truth."

"We'll just tell him that you are her mother," Anna decided. _Why?_ Irene had never proven herself worthy of the title. Anna may not know that but Irene did and even as a farce it unsettled her.

"Why me? You took care of her."

"Which is why it would seem suspicious if she called me Anna instead of 'Mom'."

"The same problem would not exist with me...because...?"

"Wendy doesn't know who her mother is," Anna explained, as if that made it any better. It wasn't her fault, not knowing that Irene abandoned her own flesh and blood, but posing as an impressionable girls mother, Irene did not want that. She had no problem with lying, but she did not want this kid to get _attached to her in any way._

"I know, lying to an innocent little girl about something this _significant_ just isn't right. _I know_ , but it's better than her living on the road, not knowing when her next meal might be, and being alone to realize her abilities. I just know how deeply she will be hurt when we tell her its not true," Anna had a heart of gold even now. Irene couldn't bear to see her let guilt eat away at her even if it should with what she had planned. It wouldn't come to that, Irene decided. These children they would not be the one's to topple Ancologia. Irene would, when the time came atone for her many sins even if it came at the cost of her own life.

"We don't _have_ to tell her anything, if we lie, family her more than bloodlines," Irene knew that she would follow Anna anywhere from the moment they met and as much as she wanted to deny it she was going along with Anna's plan. If Anna was going to adopt a dozen children Irene would be right there with her; it was going to take years to get these kids into fighting shape. They wouldn't need it, Irene would take matters into her own hands, if Irene could not love her own daughter perhaps she could make it up now, "Belserion and I didn't share a common blood relative and we were family."

"Are you sure?"

"You are their caretaker and those dragons were their parents. That's as good as family."

"So you want to pretend to be Wendy's mother indefinitely."

"I'm saying that I'll go along and nothing more," Anna smiled at her and Irene found another piece of herself.


End file.
